Vanpool

The T's Guaranteed Ride Home Program (GRHP)

The Guaranteed Ride Home Program will give you a quick "connection" to get home or back to a Park & Ride lot if unscheduled overtime or an emergency arises and The T's normal service routes and schedule can not return you. This benefit can be used twice in a three month period.

Who can use this program?

You are Guaranteed

Vanpool, E Pass and Monthly Pass holders are eligible for the Guaranteed Ride Home Program.

Reusable to 2 times

Guaranteed Ride Home benefits may be used up to 2 times within a 3-month period.

For example: If you use a GRH Trip in May and another one in June, then you must wait until August to use your GRH benefit again.

(Your 1st trip taken determines when additional trips may be taken.)

Using GRHP

Get A Calling Card

You need a GRHP Calling Card that identifies you as a participant. If you are an eligible participant and do not already have a GRHP Calling Card, call 817.336.RIDE (7433) to be issued a card.

Call for a Ride

When unscheduled overtime or an emergency arises, call the number on your GRHP Card. The dispatcher will ask for your name and phone number and where you are to be picked up and dropped off. Request a wheelchair-accessible vehicle if needed.

Show Your Card

When Yellow Cab arrives to pick you up, the driver will ask to see your GRHP Calling Card. Be prepared to show your current E-Pass or Monthly Pass. Vanpool participants may be asked for their vanpool van number. Each registered Guaranteed Ride Home participant is eligible to use his/her card two times in a three-month period.

What is a vanpool?

A vanpool is a group of at least six people who share the costs of getting to and from work. These individuals usually live and work near each other. Generally, vanpools will have one primary driver and one alternate driver.

What are the benefits of vanpooling?

Lower transportation costs, less wear and tear on riders’ vehicles and less stress during commutes. In addition, vanpooling helps reduce traffic congestion and dangerous levels of ozone.

Vanpooling may also make riders eligible for savings on automobile insurance — in some cases, up to 15%. (Riders should contact their insurance agents for more information.) If necessary, The T will provide written verification of your vanpool participation.

Vanpool with colleagues to work.

How much does vanpooling cost?

Monthly fares will vary, depending on the origination point of the van and the daily miles involved. Riders pay only for the portion of the trip they use. For instance, if a vanpool picks up riders in different counties, it’s possible that some riders may pay a few dollars more or less than others.

In addition to the base fare, riders may pay part of the monthly parking expense and a cleaning fee for the van. To encourage vanpooling, rider fares are currently subsidized through a Federal Clean Air grant.

What about overtime?

Monthly fares assume an average of 21 workdays per month. However, The T realizes that, on some occasions, riders will need to work more than 21 days a month. For this reason, The T offers an overtime policy.

If at least half the vanpool group works overtime, we recommend that riders take the van. The cost per passenger would be the daily rate (the fare divided by 21). If less than half the group works overtime, we recommend that carpooling be used. In this way, we can stretch limited funding and prevent our vanpool drivers from being billed for excess fuel and mileage expenses.